Carrot Halwa Cake

 For the Caramelized Carrots

1 tablespoon vegan butter  

3 cups shredded carrots, (About three and a half cups of chopped carrots, if you're going to shred them )

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp almond flour

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp lime zest

For the Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup almond flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

For the Spices\

3/4 tsp cinnamon pdr

3/4 tsp  cardamom pdr

1/8 tsp each of ground nutmeg, cloves, and allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp lime zest

For the Wet Ingredients

1 cup non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, oat milk

1 tbsp flaxseed meal , mixed with 2 1/2 tbsp of water

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder

To Top the Carrots

2 tbsp raw cashews, or roasted, unsalted cashews

2 tbsp raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

1/2 tsp oil, optional

 

 

Instructions 

Cook the carrots.

• In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the carrots and mix well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add in the maple syrup, almond flour, cardamom, lime zest, and a good pinch of salt and mix really well. Continue to cook until the carrots are cooked or somewhat al dente. Stir occasionally. This will take anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes.

Let the carrots cool while you make the cake batter.

• In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients and spices and set aside.
•  
  In another bowl, add the wet ingredients (that is the milk, flax egg, sugar, oil, and vanilla) and mix really well. Then add in half of the flour mixture. Mix that in, and then add the rest of the flour mixture. Continue to mix until you get a smooth batter. The batter will be slightly thick, like muffin batter. It should not be overly thin. If it is, add in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. If it is too thick, then you can add in a tablespoon of nondairy milk.
•  Fold 1/3 of the cooked shredded carrots into the batter and add in half of the drained, soaked raisins. Line an 8- or 9- inch cake pan with parchment paper and pour the batter into the pan. Even it out with a spatula, and top the cake with the remaining shredded carrots, distributing them evenly.
•  Then, toss your cashews in the oil so that they are coated well, and sprinkle that on top of the carrot mixture. Put the raisins on top of the carrot mixture, as well. Press the cashews and raisins into the batter and into the carrot mixture, making sure they're not popping out of the mixture. Otherwise, they will tend to burn.

Bake the cake.

• Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 30 to 40 minutes. The baking time depends on your cake pan, your oven, the height of the cake and so on. Cover the pan with parchment after the first 15 minutes of baking, so that the cashews and raisins don't get too brown.
•  
  Check in after 30 minutes with a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, that’s when the cake is done. Then take it out of the oven and let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer it from the pan onto a cooling rack or your cake serving stand and let it cool for another few minutes.
•  You can serve this cake as it is, or add simple sugar icing or a drizzle of cream cheese frosting.  I usually drizzle the cake with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons of water, and then just drizzle all of that over, so that the cake stays moist and the top stays moist, as well.
•  Store and Reheat: Let the cake cool for another few minutes, then slice and serve or store in a closed container once it's completely cool in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze slices of carrot halwa cake. Reheat in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds if it's refrigerated. If it is frozen, then microwave for 20 seconds, then check and then microwave again for 20 seconds and so on until the cake is warmed through.

Notes

Nut-free, omit the cashews, omit the almond flour from the caramelized carrots, and omit the almond flour from the cake mixture. Add 2 tablespoons more flour to the cake batter. If you don’t like cardamom, just use extra cinnamon instead.  To make this gluten-free, use a mix of 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, and 1/3 cup potato starch. Mix really well and use in place of the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Then add only 2 tablespoons more almond flour instead of 1/4 cup, and instead of the 1 cup nondairy milk, use 3/4 cup nondairy milk and 1/4 cup of club soda or carbonated water.

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